


Hello, Neighbors.

by sagelabyrinth



Category: Mindhunter (TV 2017)
Genre: Child Neglect, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Slow Build, Slow Burn, When I say "Slow Burn" I mean it.
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2020-10-18 12:33:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20639234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sagelabyrinth/pseuds/sagelabyrinth
Summary: When Bill Tench and his family have to move homes, they encounter an... Odd. Neighborhood boy.





	1. One.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hangmans_joke](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hangmans_joke/gifts).

> Hello, readers! I apologize if you followed this story in the past and were confused as to why I deleted it. I had some personal things going on and felt that I couldn't continue most of my works. But, now I'm doing this again and I plan on making something I can be proud of! Thanks for sticking with me along the way! Also, a special thank you to Bluesmrs! Honestly without their asking, I wouldn't've made this again.

It was a crisp September morning, Bill Tench was not anticipating being crammed into a small, rusty old U-Haul. He and his family were moving again due to Bill's work. He had been receiving some... Colorful. Letters from the "rat-bastards", as he ever-so-lovingly referred to them, he had put away. Due to the threatening nature of the letters, Bill decided it'd be best if he moved. Just to ensure his family was safe.

He had kept the letters a secret from Nancy, however. She was a sensitive woman and he didn't want to upset her. As for Brian... Well, Bill wasn't too sure he'd understand, or even care, so it wasn't much of a problem to not tell him. Nancy was persistent though. She wanted to know why they had to move, why Brian had to change schools, why she had to leave her book club. Bill tried to make up a lie she'd take, which wasn't easy for him. You see, Bill couldn't lie to his wife. It wasn't in his nature. When they got married, he vowed to never lie to her. But, in this case, he knew he had to.

-

"I just don't understand why we have to go, honey!" Nancy called her husband from the kitchen. Sighing, Bill put down the box labeled, "Books" he was filling and made his way to her.

"Because," he started, moving over to wrap his arms over her shoulders, "It's better for Brian." Bill thought anything he said about Brian would satisfy Nancy. She always had a soft spot for her son.

"Moving farther outside the city will be good for him, fresh air, a smaller community so it'll probably be easier to make friends..." he trailed off, waiting for Nancy's agreement.

"I supposed you're right." she finally caved, "The place you mentioned, Glennsdale? Well, it seems like a cozy place from what I read in the library."

-

Glennsdale was a small, gated community located in Luray. It was almost a two-hour drive from where Bill worked in Quantico, but the drive was worth his family's safety.

Most of the homes were close together, Bill hoped the liked his new neighbors. The community was even fit with their own playground for the local kids to play at. Overall, it seemed like a good place to live.

-

After a few days of packing and preparing themselves for the trip, the Tench's made their drive over to Glennsdale. Brian wasn't too happy about the trip, having to sit in the back seat of his father's car for almost two-hours was not his cup of tea. Nancy had to drive Bill's car while he drove the U-Haul. But, Nancy, bless her heart, new how to handle Brian by herself. Bill was always fascinated with the ease of which she handled children. He liked kids, sure, but he wasn't good with them. When Nancy had announced her pregnancy, Bill had almost had a heart attack. He didn't know the first thing about raising a child. He knew how to teach 'em to fish, like his father had taught him, but what else? Four-AM feedings, endless diaper changes, bedtimes stories... It all seemed like too much.

When Nancy went into labour, she was in pain of course, but collected. Content. Like she just _knew _how to handle this. But, when she lost the baby, everything fell apart. She barely ate, wouldn't get out of bed.

Bill was wrecked, not only had he lost his child, but now his wife was deteriorating before his eyes.

Eventually, through time and care, Nancy broke free from her depression and even wanted to try again for a baby.

It had been a year after she had a stillbirth and she was eager to try again, but as she came to find out, she could no longer bare children. The doctor had told her that while she _could _get pregnant, the baby wouldn't live. No matter the intervention they tried, the baby wouldn't live. This news shook them both. Bill had finally come around to the idea of having a little version of himself running around, and Nancy was just _so excited _to try again. She fell back to her depression. Again, Nancy spent months in bed, barely eating anything, until one day Bill came home from work.

"What if we adopted?" he presented. Nancy looked confusedly to him, "What?" she groggily asked, having just woken up again.

"Adopted. A baby. A guy I know from work, Edward, well he and his wife adopted a baby girl a few months ago. Said it was the best decision he ever made."

At first, she opposed the idea, taking in a child that wasn't really hers didn't sit with her right. But, after a few weeks of flip-flopping between, "Yes." and "No.", she agreed.

"Let's do it, let's adopt a baby."

-

The adoption process wasn't too hard, they applied, got accepted, had many, many home studies, and waited. It was weeks and weeks of waiting until one day, they got a call.

A woman had rung them up at home saying she was from their adoption agency. A young boy, around age 3, was in desperate need of a home. They didn't have much information on him, but he was sweet, quiet, loving. Of course the Tench's agreed and wanted to meet him as quickly as possible.

A caseworker by the name of Michael Ellis brought the child, named Brian, over to the home the next morning. Nancy was ecstatic. Bill was nervous. Here was this little boy, who had already had a personality, his own thoughts and ideas, and a history. A history that no one knew of. They were told Brian was abandoned as a baby and bounced from foster home to foster home in the span of his short life. Other than that, no one knew anything else. No one knew how he was treated, or what he saw and heard. And that, to Bill, was terrifying.

Over the course of a few months, they both fell in love with the boy. He was deafly quiet, but a sweet boy. After some home visits and a lot of paperwork, he was theirs. He was Brian Tench. 

-

Now here they were, on their way to a new home, a new start for Brian in school, a chance to make new friends for Nancy, and a chance for Bill to keep his family safe.

They pulled into their new community, they say "gated", but the entrance wasn't locked. Has a fancy looking doorway though. A brick wall with black metal bars decorating it, and a small sign saying,

**Glennsdale Community**

It wasn't huge, but it wasn't as cramped as Bill was expecting. There was a decent amount of space between houses. Mostly they all looked the same, medium-sized homes that were painted grey, some with different colored doors, some with plain white. The Tench's new home had a dark green colored door and matching green shingles.

"Oh, how cute!" Nancy exclaimed as she turned off Bill's car and stepped outside, "Isn't it, baby?" she asked Brian, who didn't respond.

"Well," Bill started, turning off the truck's engine, "go check it out."

Nancy and Brian made their way inside while Bill decided to check out the area. It was quiet that day, hardly anyone outside, but he could hear the faint sound of kids squealing in delight, most likely at the playground. None of his new neighbors were out and about though. Except, across the street, Bill saw the faint outline of a person standing in a second-floor bedroom, watching. As soon the figure locked eyes with Bill, however, it retreated.

_Better not be a fucking_ _pervert. _Bill thought as he opened the back latch of the U-Haul and began taking in a few small boxes.

"Oh, Bill! I love it!" Nancy yelled from upstairs. He chuckled to himself before putting the boxes down and heading up to greet her.

"I told you, you would." he stated as he got upstairs to the bedroom Nancy was standing in. It was a big room painted burgundy with a walk-in closet to match. There was a big window that overlooked the backyard. In the room Brian had picked out, his window overlooked the street and the house across from them. Bill thought it'd be better for them to switch rooms, but Bri was already at home in this one. Bill made a mental note to get him dark curtains.

By the time they had gotten all their boxes inside, it was almost seven-PM. Deciding that they should eat, Nancy suggested Bill go out and get a pizza. Bill was slightly disappointed that he had to leave, but obliged his wife. After calling in ahead to ensure the pizza would be done by the time he got there, Bill made his way outside. Before getting into his car, Bill saw the figure in the window again. Staring. 

_What the fuck is your problem?, _he thought, _I swear if we moved into a pervert paradise_

he cut off his own train of thought and got in his car.

The drive to the pizza place wasn't long, luckily the pizza was ready as soon as he got there; so he could quickly get home. He also remembered the stop as Ross and get black curtains for Brian's room.

When Bill arrived back home, the figure was finally gone.

_Good._

They spent their first night in the home. It was quiet and comfortable. The Tench's spent the rest of the weekend unpacking and settling in fully. That following Monday Bill would be returning to work, and Brian would be staying at home with Nancy until school started up the next week. They were both slightly worried about Brian in this new school, since he had some issues with the kids being mean to him in the past. But, with their hopes high, they tried to ease their minds.

-

"What if they're mean to him, like the last school?" Nancy inquired while folding the laundry on top of her brown-plaid comforter. A terribly ugly blanket that Bill found too scratchy.

"Honey, he'll be fine." Bill tried to ease his wife's growing anxieties.

"But what if he's not? What if they call him weird, or make fun of his hair, or"

"Stop, honey, stop." he said as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind, "Brian will be fine. He's a tough kid, you know that."

"I know, I know..." she sighed, "But I just want to protect him."

Bill kissed her neck, "Of course you, any good parent would, but you know that you can't. It's unrealistic. So, for now, why don't we just stop with the laundry..." he said taking the folded shirt from her hands, "And come to bed?"

Nancy smiled, kissing him back, "Okay."

-

Monday came around and Bill had to go to job, he had to leave a little earlier at seven instead of when he'd usually leave at eight-thirty. It wasn't an issue, the family was usually awake by now anyway.

Nancy made breakfast, Bill said goodbye to her and Brian, and made his way out to the car. When he got outside, Bill spotted the figure from the window again. Only this time, he could see his face. It was a boy. A young boy probably around Brian's age, with brown hair, neatly cut, and pale, almost sickly looking skin. He mentally sighed at this image,

_Not a pervert._

Once again, when the boy noticed Bill looking back, he dove back behind his curtain. He thought the boy was odd, but maybe he didn't see new neighbors often... Or something. 

-

Work that day was terribly boring, he hadn't gone on an interview in weeks, so all he was doing now was paperwork. Wendy Carr, his coworker and the best-goddammed psychologist he knew, finally came into work so he'd have someone to talk to.

"Good morning," she greeted, "how's the new house?"

"Great. It's a great location and Bri's happy with it." he explained cheerfully.

"Long drive though, huh?" she chuckled. Sighing, Bill responded with an "Oh yeah. Excruciatingly."

The rest of his workday went on until the clock struck five, time to go. _Yes. _Since the usual drive now took two-hours, Bill didn't get home until seven, which was fine since Brian's bedtime wasn't until eight-thirty. But, he still missed the extra time he couldn't spend with his son anymore. Bill pulled into the driveway and was actually surprised to see the young boy wasn't in his window.

-

Upon entering his house, Bill heard laughter. Brian's laughter, which is not a sound he hears often. After taking off his suit jacket and loafers, Bill makes his way through the house and into the living room. 

Brian's sitting on the floor, playing with Lincoln Logs, along with another boy that Bill vaguely recognizes. It takes him a minute to realize in the light, the boy is the one from the window.

"Hey, buddy," Bill greets his son, ruffling his hair, "who's this?" he asks motioning to the other boy.

"Holden." Brian speaks before returning to play.

"Hello." Holden greets quietly.

Bill gave a quick, "Nice to meet you." then went to find Nancy.

"Hey, Nance?" he calls out for her as he makes his way to the kitchen.

"Yes, honey?" she replies, ground beef from the meatloaf she's preparing halfway up her arms.

"What's that kid doing here?"

"Holden? Oh, we met him at the park earlier. Sweetest thing... Brian begged to have him over."

Bill was confused, "Brian? Brian _begged _to hang out with another boy his age?" that type of behavior was out of character for his son.

Nancy chuckled, "Yes, I was surprised too. Also, he's nine, not seven. He made that very clear." she joked with the last part.

He was slightly concerned, seeing that Holden was the same size as Brian but two-years older. He put that thought away, though.

"You know, he's been staring at me every day, from his window, every time I go to work?"

"Who?" Nancy questioned, "Holden?"

Bill nodded. "Well, honey, he's probably seen Brian here and just wanted a friend." she justified.

Shrugging in response, Bill went to the fridge and cracked open a beer.

"Chop me up an onion, would you?" 

-

Holden stayed for dinner, per Brian's request, though Bill found it odd; a nine-year-old that didn't need his parent's permission to be out this late was odd. He was a quiet and polite boy though. A perfect fit for Brian. Holden seemed to bring him out of his shell too. Brian was a lot more talkative tonight than he'd been previously.

"So, Holden," Bill began, "What do your parents do?" he tried to find the subtle way ask to ask, "Why aren't you home?"

"My mom works at Ripley's." Holden stated, adding nothing more.

"Ripley's the diner?" Bill asked, he'd passed that diner earlier on his way to and from work. The boy simply nodded in response.

"What about your dad?" Nancy inquired softly.

Holden stiffened and looked down towards the floor, "Don't know." he said quietly.

Nancy shot Bill a sad expression, to which he just shrugged at her.

-

Dinner went okay after that, just minor conversation ensued though. A short time later, it was time for Brian to go to bed.

"Alright, Bri, time to brush your teeth." Bill announced as he stepped into the living room.

"Aww!" Brian exclaimed, "I don't wanna go to bed! I wanna play."

"I know," Bill said, kneeling down to meet his son's gaze, "but it's bedtime."

"Can Holden stay over?"

Bill was caught off-guard by that, for a second he didn't know what to say.

"No." he finally spoke and checked his watch, "It's 9, he should be getting home."

Out of the corner of his eye, Bill swears Holden flinched slightly.

Brian sullenly walked to the bathroom and got ready for bed. Bill announced to Nancy he'd walk Holden across the road, just so he'd be safe.

"So, kid, you have fun?" Bill asked trying to make light conversation.

"Yes, sir." Holden replied quickly.

"Hey," Bill jokingly warned, "no need for that 'sir', Mr. Tench is fine, Got it?" Sure, 'Mr. Tench' was formal too, but 'sir' made him feel old.

To that, the boy simply nodded.

As they walked up to Holden's house, Bill noticed the lights were off, "Is anyone home?" 

Holden nodded, so he knocked.

No reply.

Bill knocked once more, harder this time. It must've gotten through because he read footsteps near the door.

"Who is it?" a raspy female voice asked from behind the closed door.

"Bill Tench," he awkwardly tried to yell through the door, "your neighbor. I have Holden here with me."

A few clicks were heard from the doorway, then it opened.

A skinny woman with dry skin and thinning blonde hair stood before them. She had long, boney fingers that loosely held a fresh, unlit cigarette between them.

"Where were you, boy?" she rasped, quickly tugging him inside by his arm.

"Oh!" Bill quickly spoke, "He was at my house," he pointed across the road, "he made friends with my son. He stayed for dinner, I hope that's alright?"

The woman looked annoyed by the last fact, but ignored it, "Was he causing trouble?"

"No mama, I wasn" Holden tried to explain but he was cut-off by the woman, his mother Bill discovered, shushing him.

"No ma'am, no trouble. Holden's a good kid." Bill defended and smiled politely at her, which he found was unexpectedly hard to do.

She grunted and then abruptly closed the door in his face.

_What a bitch. _Bill found himself thinking. I mean, he wasn't wrong.

He walked back over to his house and found that Brian was already in bed. He went over and gently kissed his son on the forehead before turning in himself.

Bill tried to go to sleep, but something was bugging him, and Nancy noticed.

"Why're you so fidgety?" she inquired.

Bill sighed and turned over in bed to face her, "Holden's mom is... A piece of work." he tried to put it politely. For Nancy's sake.

She chuckled slightly, "I'm sure she's a nice lady, maybe you caught her at a bad time." Nancy had a way of always trying to find the good in everyone. It was nice to Bill, since his job was about finding the worst.

Shortly after, Nancy had dozed off but Bill was still tossing and turning. Something was just _off_ he didn't know what but knew something was. He could feel it in his bones. And damn it, he was going to find out.


	2. Two.

Not much to do on a Monday for Brian and Nancy. Bill was at work and as of now, Nancy didn't have a car. So really all they could do was go to the playground.

The small playground that was located just down the road from them was perfect for Brian. It had a swing set, which he loves, and monkey bars he can climb. There weren't many children there, however. Which was fine since Brian didn't... Take. To kids his age.

Brian was a quiet boy. Sweet and shy. Most boys his age were rough and loud. He didn't care for them much is all.

They were only at the park for a couple of minutes before a young boy, seemingly Brian's age based on his height, approached them. Nancy was a bit nervous when the young boy started talking to Brian. She knew most kids got upset when he wouldn't respond to them. But, to her surprise, Brian was very responsive to the other boy. Immediately taking his hand is going to swing with him. She was delighted to see Brian take interest in another child and sat giddily on the bench to watch them.

The two boys played for hours until Nancy finally had to call Brian back for dinner.

"Aw, mom! Can't I stay and play with Holden?" he pleaded.

So, the boy's name was Holden? "Sorry, honey, it's time for me to go home and make dinner. But I suppose Holden can join us?" Nancy offered.

Brian nodded his head in delight, "Can you?" he turned to Holden to ask.

The other boy nodded his head, "Yes, please!"

-

On the walk back the boys were non-stop talking! It was insane for Nancy to hear Brian ramble so much. She had also learned that this Holden boy was not Brian's age, he was actually nine. That was odd to her since he was so tiny, but she guessed maybe he wasn't much of an eater. Brian wasn't for a while. Holden had also said he lived across the street from them, which made Brian enthusiastically yell.

She left the boys to play by themselves while she made the meal. Judging by the time, Bill should be home soon. Oh, he'd be just delighted to learn Brian's made a friend! 

When he _did_ get home, Bill was very confused as to why the "strange boy who looks at me" was in their living room. But after learning that he was Brian's friend, he came around.

-

Dinner went well, and Brian and Holden continued to play all the way up until Brian's bedtime. Bill said he'd walk Holden home while Nancy got Brian's ready for bed.

It had taken an unusual amount of time for Bill to come back, though. He only went across the road, why'd it take 15 minutes? She didn't press him for details and just let it go.

Later that night, Nancy was trying to get to sleep, Bill's consistent tossing made it impossible.

"Why're you so fidgety?" she inquired.

Bill sighed and turned over in bed to face her, "Holden's mom is... A piece of work." she could tell he tried to put it politely. 

She chuckled slightly, "I'm sure she's a nice lady, maybe you caught her at a bad time."

Bill made a noise of acknowledgment, to which Nancy smiled at and slowly drifted to sleep. Though she knew that Bill hadn't done the same.

-

It was Tuesday and another day of Nancy finding a new way to keep Brian entertained ensued. Luckily, Nancy thought of Holden. The two boys really hit it off, so naturally, she thought they'd want to hang out again. 

After kissing Bill goodbye, she gave Brian a bath and got him dressed. She was about to go across the road and see if Holden was home when she spotted Bill from the kitchen window.

He was over at Holden's house talking with someone from the doorway. It was dark inside and also too far away for her to see, but perhaps it was the mother? Bill _had said _ she was a "piece of work."

A few minutes later, Bill had gotten the door slammed in his face and sighed in defeat. He turned around to go back to his car and saw Nancy looking at him. She smiled and waved and he did the same before getting inside his car and driving to work.

She was slightly wary of going across the street since Bill had gotten the door shut in his face, but she did so anyway with Brian's hand clutched in hers.

Before she could even open the door, Holden swung it open.

"Hello!" he greeted eagerly.

The sudden burst of energy caught Nancy off-guard, "Hi, sweetie!" she replied, "Brian was wondering if you wanted to come over and play?"

He nodded fastly, "Yeah! Let me go get my shoes first." then he quickly shut the door.

Less than a minute later Holden swiftly ran out the house shutting the door behind him, "I'm ready!"

Nancy chuckled slightly at the boy's antics and led them both across the road to their house.

-

The boy played in Brian's room all the way until lunchtime. Nancy decided to fetch them for some peanut butter sandwiches, growing boys need to eat.

She made her way up the creaking stairs, taking caution to not make noise since she heard something the boys were saying.

"Does it hurt?" she heard Brian quietly inquire.

"When I touch it. Not much." Holden replied.

She wasn't sure the context, but this conversation made Nancy uneasy.

"Okay, boys!" she interrupted. Holden swiftly yanked his shirt back down as soon as she made her presence known.

A beat passed.

"Who wants peanut butter!" she cheerfully presented, the two boys gladly nodded their heads and follow her down the stairs.

Nancy just couldn't shake the feeling that something was... Wrong. She remembers Bill saying something along those lines last night.

She thought he was just being paranoid, a product of his job. But now, she thinks he might actually be right. 

-

The rest of the evening went fine. No other... Odd. Conversations, anyway.

Nancy started dinner, chicken breasts, and mashed potatoes; a favorite for both Bill and Brian, and waited for her husband to come home. She had the radio quietly going in the background.

She heard a slight click of the door's lock and a small thump of his briefcase hit the floor. she heard Bill let out an exasperated sigh, followed by heavy footsteps coming toward the kitchen.

"Hey, honey." Bill groggily greeted.

"Long day?" she chuckled.

"Long," he began, cracking open a beer from the fridge, "and boring. Gunn has us writing reports. All day. Every day."

"No interviews scheduled this month?" 

"None. Not a one."

She smiled to herself. She knew Bill hated being in the office instead of the field, but she liked knowing he was safe.

By the time dinner was ready the boys were elbow deep into a game of pirates. Nancy finally had to send Bill off upstairs to get them.

"You'll never get me gold!" she heard Brian cry.

"Watch me!" the other boy retorted.

Then Bill's voice boomed above theirs, "What the hell is that!"

Nancy quickly dropped what she was doing and ran upstairs, "What's the matter?" she asked. Then she saw Bill examining a bruise around Holden's right rib, "Oh god!" she cried. It was huge. Almost bigger than his torso. It extended past his ribcage and flowed into his upper chest. The bruise was fresh, not even a day old based on the coloring.

"Where did you get that?" Bill worriedly questioned.

Holden shook his head, "I, I don't know. I must've gotten it when I... Fell. At the park." he stammered through his statement. 

Nancy didn't remember seeing the boy fall when they went yesterday, "You didn't fall when you were at the park with us." 

Holden stiffened, "It was today. Before you came to get me." he spoke steadily, trying to sound well-put.

It was a lie. She knew it. She knew Bill knew it too, but Holden wouldn't budge.

"Listen, kid-" Bill started.

"I hit him." Brian piped up, "With my sword," he motioned to it, "Holden lied because he didn't want me to get in trouble. Sorry."

Both adults looked to Holden, "Is it true?" Nancy asked.

Holden seemed caught off-guard, but agreed, "Yes. I thought you'd be mad."

Bill gave of sigh of either relief, or acceptance, she didn't know, then stood, "How about dinner?"

-

Dinner was normal, no one mentioned Holden's injury, and he seemed to enjoy it. The boys quietly ate then rushed back to play before it was time for Brian to go to bed, and for Bill to walk Holden home.

"I think they lied." Bill blankly stated once the boys were out of earshot.

"Hm?" Nancy hummed, slightly preoccupied with clearing the table.

"That bruise. Brian didn't do that."

"Something's wrong, I know it." she agreed, "But what can we do if Holden's gonna hide it?"

Bill shrugged and took another swig of his beer, "Wait."

-

"Time for bed, Bri-bear." Nancy cheerfully announced.

"Aw! Mom!"

She aw'd back to him, "Bedtime." 

Brian groaned and stomped off to the bathroom. Holden watched him trudge off and for a second, just for a second, he looked scared. Like he knew it was time to go home, and he was scared.

"Bill's downstairs, he'll walk you over." Nancy smiled and motioned downward.

He flashed a quick smile and nodded, "Thank you," he made his way downstairs, "bye, Brian!" he called.

Nancy heard the door creak open and click shut. She went over to Brian's window and watched the pair walk across the street before Brian called her into the bathroom.

-

Brian was dressed and almost in bed by the time Bill came back. After he read Brian two stories, Bill got ready for bed himself.

"D'you see his mom?" Nancy inquired.

"No, but I heard her. From behind the door. Yelled at him for being gone too long."

Nancy felt queasy. She didn't quite understand why. Bill must've picked up on it, because he softened.

"Hey, Nance, it's okay. I think we were wrong, maybe everything's fine with him." he hugged her from behind.

"I hope so," she began to relax, "I really do hope so."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoopsies this isn't 10/10, but i'm pretty ok with it


	3. Three.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, slowburn for me means SLOOOWburn. 
> 
> sorry if you ain't ready for that.

Brian awoke on that Monday morning, the morning he figured would be typical; boring. His mother made him breakfast, his father went to work, he didn't care for much of it. It wasn't until his mother announced they were going to the park that he perked up.

It was a small playground fit with swings and monkey bars. Brian very much enjoyed the monkey bars. He climbed and swang until suddenly, a boy approached.

"Hello," the boy spoke, "I'm Holden." he extended his hand out professionally, just like Brian saw his father do to people from work.

"Hello," he responded and hesitated for a moment. Who was this boy? His father warned him about strange-looking people, but this boy was Brian's age, so he must've been okay, "I'm Brian."

He took the other boy's hand and went to swing. They played for hours, but it only felt like minutes to him. Holden was cool, Brian came to find. He could read the road signs and safety warnings quicker than Brian, he could do harder math than him too. Though Brian wasn't sure his answers were right, he trusted that they were.

"Brian?" he heard his mother call, "Time to go home, I have to make dinner."

_Already? _Thought Brian, "Aw, mom! Can't I stay and play with Holden?" he pleaded.

"Sorry, honey, it's time for me to go home and make dinner. But I suppose Holden can join us?"

He beamed, nodding his head faster than he thought his neck would allow, "Can you?" he turned to Holden.

Holden beamed too, "Yes, please!"

-

The walk back home was not far but even if it was, Brian wouldn't've minded. Holden was very nice to talk to. They both liked the same shows, like Jonny Quest and Happy Days. But Holden did _not _like Mork & Mindy, he found it annoying. Brian agreed.

Brian also learned Holden was older than him by two years! That meant he was wise. His dad had always said older people are wiser.

When they got home, Holden mentioned they lived across the road from each other, "Really?" Brian exploded, "How cool! We can play every day!" Holden smiled back.

The pair immediately went upstairs to the living room to play.

"I have army men?" he offered. Holden looked quizzically at them, "What do you do?"

"Kill 'em." Brian said matter-of-factly, "Like this," he then proceeded to knock one army man into the air and have it land on the ground with a soft _thud_, "see?"

"Cool, let me try!" Holden tossed an army man up in the air and it came back to hit him in the face, "Ow!" he exclaimed holding his chin.

Brian couldn't help but laugh, "You have to _move back_ after you throw them!" The other boy started to chuckle too and the duo continued their army-men-murdering party.

-

After a while, they moved from army men to Lincoln Logs. There were only so many ways to throw an army man.

The front door creaked open and shut with a _click_, his father was home.

"Hey, buddy," he greets, ruffling Brian's hair. He slightly recoils at the touch, "who's this?" his father motions for Holden.

"Holden." 

"Hello." Holden says, he doesn't look at Brian's father, but Brian doesn't find that too weird. His dad _was _a little scary.

His father uttered a "Nice to meet you.", then left.

"I don't think he likes me." Holden whispered.

"How can he not like you?" Brian asked, "He just met you!"

Holden shrugged, "I see him from my window, he doesn't like that I look at him."

Brian found that... Odd. But disregarded it, "So? I like you. My dad doesn't have to."

Holden smiled at him. They went back to building their epic mansion.

-

Dinnertime came and went, then, sadly, Holden had to go home. They knew they could play tomorrow, but the boys didn't want _this _playtime to end.

Brian pleaded to have Holden stay the night, after all, it wasn't a school night. But his father said no, Holden had to get home.

He sullenly walked to the bathroom and got ready for bed. He was slightly mad at his father, it didn't make sense Holden couldn't stay the night. They were going to play tomorrow anyway. And Holden wanted to stay too, he told Brian he didn't like being home all by himself.

By the time Brian was dressed and in bed, his father came back inside to read him a story. He drifted off to sleep with heavy anticipation for the following day.

-

He awoke with a jolt of energy. Brian's eagerness to play with his new friend didn't stop to rest until they went over to Holden's. His mother walked him across the road, but she had... Something in her face. Did she look a little uncomfortable? He couldn't tell.

Brian found it funny how Holden managed to open his front door without them ever knocking. They waited for him to put on his shoes then they both ran home. They played in Brian's room until lunch. First, throwing the army men-- a timeless classic-- then play with model cars.

Suddenly, out of nowhere to Brian, Holden got upset. Not upset like crying, upset like... Squirmy. The kind of squirmy Brian would get when he had to use the restroom.

"C.. Can I tell you something?" Holden inquired.

Brian nodded, "Anything." Holden really could tell him anything. Even though he was older and just met yesterday, Brian really liked him.

Holden squirmed a little again, "Well, more like... Show you." Brian nodded again, "Okay..." he was a bit confused, he'll admit, but not scared or uncomfortable. There was trust.

He watched as Holden slowly lifted up the side of his light-pink polo shirt to reveal a bruise, a big bruise. Bigger than Brian's arm, "Oh no!" he exclaimed, "What happened?"

Holden became quiet and looked like he was being choked. Almost like suddenly his vocal cords were broken. 

He began crying, not sobs, just soft, quiet tears.

"It's okay," Brian tried to comfort, but he wasn't sure how. He'd only ever seen his dad comfort his mom, "don't cry."

Holden slowly began to compose himself, "My mom." he said softly, "She kicked me."

Brian felt queasy. He had a bad taste in his mouth, the same as whenever he'd eat broccoli. Holden's mom? Hit him? Parents were _not _supposed to do that. His father had told him so.

"We have to tell my mom!" Brian exclaimed as he began to jump up from the floor.

"No!" Holden yelled, grabbing Brian's arms and yanking him back down, "You can't! I'll get into more trouble. You can't tell anyone! Promise me! Promise!" he shook Brian a little, startling him.

"Okay," he spoke, "I promise. Okay." 

There was silence.

"Does it hurt?" Brian asked, he was curious.

Holden shook his head slightly and raised his shirt once more, "When I touch it. Not much."

"Okay, boys!" his mom's voice boomed in their ears. Holden quickly yanked his shirt down. The boys stared at her like deers in headlights for hours, it seemed. 

"Who wants peanut butter!" she cheerfully presented.

They both nodded and fled downstairs. Holden scarfed down in sandwich in seconds, but Brian didn't eat much. He was still thinking about what Holden had said.

-

It had been hours since their conversation and Brian had moved on. Holden didn't want to speak of it anymore, so he let it be. They played army-men, Lincoln Logs, and cars. But then, Brian remembered something.

"Swords!" he exclaimed without further explanation. Holden gave him a confused look but then he pulled two wooden swords from the back of his closet.

"I forgot about these," Brian held one out for Holden to take, "here."

"What do we do with these?" Holden asked, awkwardly holding the sword in his hands.

Brian shot him a mischievous grin, "Fight!" he yelled, swinging the sword at Holden's feet. The other boy swiftly jumped back and swung his own sword, giggling al the while.

The fighting continued for a few minutes before Brian decided on playing as pirates. Holden very much liked the idea.

"You'll never get me gold!" he exclaimed, swinging his sword in slow motion.

"Watch me!" Holden yelled back and jumped up in the air. Though the weight of the sword in contrast to his weak little arms was too much. He stumbled, falling flat on his back on the floor. His polo-shirt flew upwards, covering his face and revealing his bruise.

"What the hell is that!" his father yelled. Brian hadn't noticed him in the doorway. He stepped toward Holden quickly and the boy flinched. He started to examine the bruise.

Then Brian heard his mother's footsteps, "What's the matter?" she questioned. She saw the bruise and gave a loud gasp of shock, "Oh god!" she cried.

"Where did you get that?" his father worriedly questioned. Brian felt that familiar feeling in his stomach, and the bad taste in his mouth.

Holden shook his head, "I, I don't know. I must've gotten it when I... Fell. At the park." Brian saw the worry, the fear, in his face.

"You didn't fall when you were at the park with us." his mother stated.

Brian's concern for Holden was growing with each of his parent's questions. He heard Holden fumble through another lie before his dad tried began to speak again.

"I hit him." he spat out, a lie he hoped would suffice, "With my sword." he hung his head, mostly because if he looked his dad in the eyes, he'd crack.

"Holden lied because he didn't want me to get in trouble. Sorry."

Holden confirmed this. It must've satisfied his parents because they dropped it.

-

After dinner, the boys went back up to Brian's room.

"Thank you, I appreci-" Holden began to speak but Brian didn't want to hear it.

"I lied. To my parents. That's bad." he was mad at Holden for making him do so.

"I'm sorry." Holden said, hanging his head.

Brian was conflicted. He knew Holden had made him promise to not tell anyone, but he also didn't want Holden to get hurt more, "You should tell an adult." his dad always says that.

"No!" Holden screamed, "You said you wouldn't either! You promised!"

"I won't," he admitted, the feeling from earlier never left, "I swear."

It took a few minutes, but the boys went back into their usual rhythm of playing. Up until it was Brian's bedtime. 

"Aw, mom!" he whined. He knew this meant Holden had to leave. And that scared him.

"Aw, son!" she mocked back, "Bedtime."

Brian groaned and trudged off to the bathroom.

He heard Holden call out goodbye to him and leave. He felt sick still. Holden was going home, his mom will kick him again, and Brian couldn't tell anyone.

"Mom!" he called out.

"Yes, dear?" she asked when she came in.

"I feel sick." he said with teary eyes.

"Aw, baby." she felt his forehead, "Well you feel fine, what's wrong?"

"My tummy feels weird," he looked down, "I just wanna lay down." His mother led him into the bedroom and got him in his pajamas. 

"Daddy'll be in soon, he'll read you a story." she told him. He nodded, but turned over and closed his eyes. He just wanted today to be _over_.

And, eventually, his dad came in. Read him a few stories, and kissed him goodnight.

"Dad?" he asked before his father fully left the room.

"Yeah, bud?"

No. No, no, he can't. He can't betray his friend. "I love you."

His father had a warm smile on his face, "I love you too."

He turned off the light and closed door, and Brian still had the feeling in his stomach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaa im really loving writing this now fshfhfksdfasfd
> 
> thank u for reading :)))
> 
> might do Holden's pov next?? jk jk... unless??


	4. Four.

_Bill tossed and turned in bed all night, he didn't know what was wrong with Holden but knew something was. He could feel it in his bones. And damn it, he was going to find out._

_-_

The next morning, after he'd bad breakfast and kissed his family goodbye, Bill decided to head over across the street. After two unanswered taps on the door, he gave one big _bang!_

It wasn't polite, not in the slightest, but there was just something nagging in his brain.

"What the fuck is your problem!" Holden's mother opened the door with force, lit cigarette glued to her bottom lip.

"_Sorry to_ bother you," Bill spat out, "I just wanted to see how Holden is this morning." he hadn't seen the kid in the window earlier, it concerned him, really.

"Why d'you care? Some kind of _kiddie fucker?" _ she implored. Bill sputtered, the question caught him off guard.

"No ma'am, my son would probably want to play with him today. They really hit it off yesterday."

She took a long drag from her cigarette, "He isn't feeling too well, actually. Shouldn't be playing anywhere."

Something about that sentence made Bill uneasy, "I'm sorry to hear. Maybe another time then, hm?"

The door was shut in his face.

_What the fuck?_ he thought. What was this woman's issue? He didn't even know her name and he hated her. Bill quickly turned back toward home and he saw Nancy, staring from the kitchen window. She smiled and waved to him, he did the same-- though more awkwardly than she-- then he drove to work.

-

"Good morning," Wendy greeted, "are you okay? You seem shaken." she asked in her typical monotone voice.

"Hm? Oh, uh, yeah." he waved off. She shot him a suspicious glance, he caved, "No... There's this boy that Brian's been playing with..." he trailed off.

"Mhm?" 

"I think he's being neglected."

Wendy's face softened, concern flooded her eyes, "Have you contacted the locals?"

Bill shook his head, "Not yet, I don't want to start something unless I'm sure of it. Remember the whole Roger Wade incident?"

Ah yes, how could anyone forget? Some new agent got a "bad feeling"-- his words-- over a school principal tickling children's feet. Got the old guy fired. It was an unfortunate situation. Bill did not want to make the same mistake.

"Understandable. Maybe you should ask the kid?

"Yeah. Maybe." he brushed it off and started on work. A lot of work. He hated Gunn.

-

Bill sluggishly entered the household. The plopped his briefcase down and let out a heavy sigh.

"Hey, honey." Bill more-so announced than greeted after he trudged into the kitchen.

"Long day?" Nancy chuckled.

"Long," he began, cracking open a beer from the fridge, "and boring. Gunn has us writing reports. All day. Every day."

"No interviews scheduled this month?" 

"None. Not a one."

Nancy thinks Bill didn't see the small smile she shared with herself. He knew she didn't particularly like his line of work, but couldn't she at least fain disdain in his misery?

By the time dinner was ready the boys were elbow deep into a game of pirates. Nancy finally had to send Bill off upstairs to get them. He kept the annoyed groan he was harboring to himself.

Bill was halfway up the steps when Brian yelled, "You'll never get me gold!"

"Watch me!" 

He was just close enough to peer into the bedroom through the open door. He was Holden jump into the air and land flat onto his ass. He almost laughed, almost. Until he saw the bruise on the kid's side. The monstrous bruise at that.

"What the hell is that!"

-

Bill and Nancy both sat there and watched the boys lie through their teeth about where Holden's bruise came from. They both knew that their son didn't have the strength to hit that hard.

But they let it go. They had to, neither kid would budge. So they ate dinner. Pretended as if the incident didn't happen. It made Bill uneasy.

"I think they lied." hee blankly stated once the boys were out of earshot.

"Hm?" Nancy hummed, slightly preoccupied with clearing the table.

"That bruise. Brian didn't do that."

"Something's wrong, I know it." she agreed, "But what can we do if Holden's gonna hide it?"

He shrugged and took another swig of his beer, "Wait." 

The word spat out of his mouth with disgust. He hated the idea of having to wait for something worse to happen before he could help, but he knew that was the case.

As Brian's bedtime came around, it was time to take Holden home. _Home,_ he thought,_ probably the same place he got the bruise._

Holden descended the stairs slowly like he was savoring every last second, "Ready, buddy?" Bill asked, holding his hand out for the kid to take.

He did. Holden nodded, "Yes, sir."

"Hey," he playfully tossed Holden's hair, "what'd I say about that 'Sir' stuff?"

"Sorry, s-" he caught himself, "Sorry."

As they approached the house, Bill wasn't sure anyone was home. The place was pitch dark, "Is your mom home?" 

Holden simply nodded, no doubt ever crossing his mind. That made Bill worried for some reason.

Before they could knock the door swung open, "Get in here!" a voice commanded. Bill couldn't see anyone because of the dark, but it must've been Holden's mom.

Holden quickly hopped inside, "Goodbye, Mr. Tench." he waved slightly before the door shut.

_"What were you doing?!"_ the mom yelled. Holden must've replied but too quietly for Bill to hear. He hear his mother yelled again,

"I don't _care_, I want you _home when it's dark, _got it?" Bill took that as his cue to leave. The anger of the house made his worry even worse.

Bill came inside his own home and felt the urge to see Brian. He went to find his son all tucked up in bed, looking a little sick, to be honest. Nonetheless, he read Brian a few stories and said his goodnights. 

"D'you see his mom?" Nancy inquired.

"No, but I heard her. From behind the door. Yelled at him for being gone too long."

Nancy's expression turned to worry, Bill comforted her with a slight hug from behind.

"Hey, Nance, it's okay. I think we were wrong, maybe everything's fine with him."

"I hope so," she began to relax, "I really do hope so."

Bill did too.

-

It was a Wednesday now and Bill was feeling his mid-week blues. The thought of the weekend being so close-- but so far-- was irritating. Alas, he plopped his feet onto the ground and made his way to the bathroom. Something caught his eyes, however.

Brian's bedroom door was opened. Bill knew for sure he closed after he tucked Brian in.

Panic set in. A product of the job; always thinking the absolute worst in any situation. He quietly and swiftly rushed to his son's room.

Brian was asleep. In bed, just like he was last time Bill saw him. He must've gotten up to use the bathroom and left the door open. A wave of relief washed over him. Maybe it was the things with the neighbor kid, or just all the shit he has at work, but Bill was just on edge.

He tiptoed over to Brian's bed and kissed him gently on the forehead.

"Dad?" Brian groggily whispered.

Shushing him, Bill told him to get back to sleep, it wasn't time to wake up yet.

Then Bill saw it. Brian's bed had no sheets on it.

"Bri, where're your sheets, buddy?"

He had a guilty look about him, "I wet the bed." he admitted with shame.

Bill let out a heavy sigh and ushered his son to get up. The bed was slightly wet still, but with the offending garment gone, it wasn't too bad. Still, he grabbed a towel and patted the matress down.

"Why, kid?" was all Bill asked.

Brian looked down and shrugged, but Bill saw a look on his face. A look he couldn't quite pinpoint.

"Hey," he softened, "I'm, I'm not mad. I just want to know what happened?"

Brian brought his gaze up, "I can't tell you. I promised."

That same panic from before washed over Bill's entire body. He'd heard that phrase a thousand times from children, and it never meant anything good.

"Bri, you can tell me, it's okay. Whatever it is, if it's bad, you should tell me."

Brian remained silent much to Bill's chagrin. The sun was just being to peek itself out from hiding and make its debut. The sight of the orange hue colliding into the black sky was almost calming. Bill was anything but. His son's cryptic confession really gave him a fright. Whatever his son was hiding, he knew it wasn't good. Bill knew he couldn't make Brian talk to him, and that was killing him.

-

Bill was at work, but he wasn't really working. He couldn't shake the twisting feeling in his stomach, Brian was all he could think of, and people could tell.

"Everything okay?" Gregg asked. He was leaning slightly in front of Bill's vision.

Snapped from his daze, Bill automatically answered, "Uh, yeah. Everything's great." he quickly went back to examining a file he'd been sent.

Kinnley Louis, a serial rapist, and murderer who confessed to killing 13 boys between the ages of four to seven. His victims all had brown hair, neatly cut, brown eyes, from good homes. Maybe it was the already existing anxiety Bill was harboring, but he couldn't help but see the similarities between the victims and his own son.

"Bill, are you alright?" he heard Wendy inquired from the doorway.

"God!" he exploded, "Yes! I'm okay, why does everyone keep asking me that!?"

Wendy gave him a wild look. 

Sighing, Bill continued, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blown up like that. It's just..."

"Just?"

"Brian. He told me something and I don't know what to make of it."

She looked puzzled, "Don't know what to make of what?"

"He wet the bed last night. I asked him why, and he said it was a secret. Just between him and someone else."

Wendy made an 'ah' expression, "You think he was molested?"

Bill was appalled by her matter-of-fact statement, "God!"

"Well aren't you?"

He paused. Was that really what he thought? He figured Brian couldn't have been molested, he'd been home with Nancy all alone for weeks now. The only other person he'd been around was Holden.

Bill then had another thought.

_No. No._

"I'm not sure."

-

Bill went home, not at all any better than earlier, maybe even worse. Nancy had dinner on the table, Brian was laying on the couch looking sullenly to his pile of toys on the floor.

"No Holden today?" Bill asked his son. The word poured from his mouth leaving a bad taste. He didn't know why.

Brian shook his head, "Sick." was all he muttered.

Bill nodded and went to Nancy.

"Hi, honey." he greeted. She returned with a smile and a gentle hello. She called Brian in and they ate dinner. The energy of the house felt different, like something was on everyone's mind, and it wasn't good.

The meal went on silently, no one uttered more than a, "Could you pass the salt?". It made Bill uneasy. Brian looked sickly to him and Nancy... Well, Nancy looked normal to him. 

After dinner, Brian marched himself right upstairs while Nancy cleared the table. Bill sat there, beer in hand, trying to figure out the right thing to ask. Luckily, he didn't have to.

"Holden's mother answered the door today," Nancy stated. That gave Bill an unexplainable chill,

"Oh?" he asked. It was weak, but it was all he could manage to say.

"She scared Brian. All that foul language, blowing smoke in his face. Said Holden was _sick,_" the word spat out of her mouth with obvious disgust, "I don't think he was, Bill. I think she hurt him." Nancy's voice began to break, getting quieter as tears burned her eyes.

"Hey," Bill comforted, rushing over to wrap his arms over her, "It's okay, it'll be alright. How about I go over there now?"

She shook her head, "No, no, it could be dangerous." she warned.

Bill couldn't help but chuckle, "Nance, I'm an agent. She's a little woman, no offense. She can't hurt me."

"It's not you that I'm worried about."

The realization hit Bill.

"It'll be okay."

-

The walk across the street seemed longer than usual. The house before Bill looked darker, not just the lighting either. He approached the doorway and glanced at his wristwatch. 8:32. That wasn't too late, right?

Bill went soft knocks from his fists to the door, they sounded like bangs, but he knew he wasn't knocking hard. After a few moments of silence, he decided to knock once more with some force.

"What the fuck are you doing here _again?_" the woman spat as she flung the door open.

"Where's your son?" it wasn't a question.

"What do you care, are you some kind of pedophile?"

"Excuse me?" he shot defensively. Hasn't she already used that inane accusation?

"Well, you're always here askin' 'bout my boy all the time." she rasped.

"Just concerned for your boy is all, my wife said he was sick?"

The woman looked slightly more on edge now, "He is. So if you don't mind, _agent_, I'll go tend to him now."

Bill was about to open his mouth again before she tried closing the door. He shoved his boot in between the doorway and wall, "Actually, I do mind."

The woman looked wildly at him, "The fuck do you think you're doing?!" she yelled.

"Are you hitting your son?" 

"Fuck. You." she flipped him off and pushed forcibly on the door until Bill moved.

_Well, that went great._

_-_

"Of course she's gonna say no, Bill!" Nancy frustratedly yelled, throwing the shirt she was folding onto the floor.

He sighed and tried to offer her a hug that she pushed away. "Nance."

"Call the police!" 

"I can't! There's nothing to go on. I call the cops, they go over and ask her if she's hitting him, as I did, she says no, they leave. I hate to break it to ya, but the police really don't give two shits about anything."

"What about the bruise? The one his stomach?" Nancy desperately wanted _something _to work.

"He said Brian did that-"

"That was bullshit!" 

"Don't you think I know that!? Don't you think I feel equally as _shitty_ about this as you do?!" Bill yelled so loud his voice echoed through the room.

"Dad?" Brian's small voice broke through Nancy's stunned silence.

_Shit._

"Buddy-"

"Come on, Bri-bear, bedtime." Nancy quickly grabbed his hand a led him away.

_Fuck_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so the next chapter will be bill centric.
> 
> i know ur like "wait i want holden" i know i promise his chapter will come soon i have plans


	5. Five.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah, it's been a fucking hot minute, my bad. I didn't have any inspiration for this, but, as usual, I got a jolt of energy at 1AM. I have a clearer picture of how I want this all to unfold, so without further ado, let's go.

Nancy had banished Bill to the couch that night. She was immensely pissed at him for a plethora of reasons, starting a fight with her, being careless enough to let Brian overhear, and overall being a coward.

Her words.

Bill tossed on the disgustingly green old couch. The springs were beginning to poke out of the cushions, and they made a horrible clicking noise whenever you'd move on them.

Bill all but got down on his knees and begged Nancy to let him buy another couch, but she insisted they keep this one, "It was my grandmother's!" she'd cry.

While on the cusp of being just comfortable enough to maybe get some shut-eye, Bill was disturbed by a noise from outside.

A car door slammed, tires pulled so quickly out of a driveway, they screeched on the asphalt.

With the commotion giving him a mini heart attack, Bill got up to see what in God's name was going on.

He put on his robe and slippers and made way outside.

It was dark, the small street lamp near his house provided just enough light to see the mailbox at the edge of their yard from the front door. Moving forward, Bill noticed Holden's front door was wide open, and the car was missing from his driveway.

Curiosity-- and worry-- got the better of him, and he began to walk toward the house.

Bill hesitantly knocked on the door frame, not wanting to just barge in, even though the home appeared empty. After a few seconds, he decided to creak the door open just a little more.

The home was pitch-black, only being illuminated briefly by the street lamp. Bill decided to take a step inside, if something was wrong, it was his duty a law enforcement officer to investigate. 

_Or at least that's what I'll tell cops when I get arrested for breaking and entering, _the sarcastic voice in his head said.

He shook that thought away and proceeded on. The floor creaked softly as he rounded the corner into the living room. The house was set-up almost exactly like Bill's, except for the kitchen, which must've been farther back in the house.

There was a faint noise coming from a small television set, which Bill discovered to be a re-run of an old _Happy Days_ episode. On the couch directly in front of the TV, was a small outline of a head. Bill's heart skipped a beat as a jolt of panic fell upon him. The outline shifted and disappeared under the cushions. Whoever it was must've lied down.

"Hello?" Bill cautiously called.

There was a small gasp before the head popped back up again. The TV's light made it so Bill couldn't see any facial features, but he was sure the person was facing him.

"Mr. Tench?" a timid voice asked.

"Holden?"

There was a nod, "What are you doing here?"

"I heard your mom's car pull away. It made a pretty loud noise, huh?" he questioned, automatically putting on his "dad" tone.

Holden nodded again slowly.

"I saw your door open and I wanted to make sure you were alright." An overwhelming need to protect washed over him. Bill's gut-feeling was telling him that something was wrong.

A long beat passed before he got an answer, "I'm okay." Holden confirmed. Though something about his tone raised concerns.

Bill was almost about to leave it at that. The kid was fine, his job was done. But a nagging voice-- who sounded a lot like Nancy-- pestered him from the back of his head.

"What if Brian was home all alone?"

"What if Holden's mom comes back, how will he manage?"

"Remember when you were a boy, and your father would leave you all by yourself while he went off on benders?"

That was Bill's breaking point.

He had hardly ever allowed himself to remember his childhood, all the pain, all the loneliness, but this whole Holden Situation brought it all back to his attention.

"Holden, I can't leave you here alone. I just can't. How about you come over to our house? You can sit there until your mom comes back, okay?"

Holden hesitantly nodded and pushed his little body off the couch. He made sure to turn off the television and grabbed his shoes. Bill watched him carefully grab each lace, making sure he had a good grip, and patiently looping them into "bunny ears". He smiled at the sight, it reminded him of Brian, so careful and calculated, even with the most simple things. The pair made their way across the road and went inside, only to find Nancy waiting at the kitchen table.

"There you ar--" she cut herself off and audibly gasped, covering her mouth with both hands.

Bill was confused at first, "What? What is it?" Nancy removed one hand and pointed it just behind Bill.

He turned around to see Holden, sporting a hefty, rapidly blackening bruise around his right eye, "Jesus," Bill breathed. He was surprised he hadn't noticed the injury earlier, but the night's darkness was an explanation.

Bill knelt down to examine the boy's face. The bruise was fresh, maybe only an hour old at best. Holden flinched away from Bill's touch,

"Holden, who did this to you?" Bill asked, but he was afraid he already knew the answer. With no reply, he tried again, "Holden," he said more firmly, "Who. Did this."

The boy's bottom lip quivered and he clenched his jaw together, "I can't..." he struggled out.

"You can, it's okay," Bill assured.

Nancy knelt down too, "Holden, you can tell us, you won't get in trouble."

He pressed his lips together and choked back a sob. Tears flow freely from his baby blues, a whimper escaped from him, "I'm sorry," he stammered.

"Hey now," Bill put a firm, but caring, hand on his shoulder, "you don't have anything to be sorry for. Whatever happened, it wasn't your fault, understand me? Just tell us, who hit you. Who hit you, Holden?"

Holden nodded and breathed out a heavy sigh in an attempt to calm himself down. Nancy held her hand out for him to take, which he gladly accepted. Breathing slowly a few more times, Holden readied himself to speak, but he was having an internal struggle, Bill saw it. Like he made a pro and cons list and was filing through it in his mind.

Finally, the boy visibly relaxed. His shoulders fell down, his jaw unclenched, it seemed like a weight was lifting from him. He took a big breath of courage.

"My mom. She hit me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAA


	6. Six.

Bill was fuming. He paced aggravatedly from the living to the kitchen, each time passing Holden, seeing the state of his eye, and getting madder.

He had wanted desperately wanted to call the police, but the station was closed. That was the only thing Bill mentally kicked himself for after moving. Back in their old neighborhood, the station was staffed overnight, but they lived more rural now, and the locals figured it was safe enough to leave be.

After about his third time around the corner, Nancy met his gaze, "Honey," she said softly, resting her hand on his chest, "sit down. You're stressing _me _out."

Bill sighed, "Sorry," he pinched the bridge of his nose and hushed his tone, "sorry. Just look at him, Nance. _I did that, I let that happen-"_

"No, honey, no. You did not do that to that poor boy, okay? You did your best, you tried to help him."

"Yeah, well I didn't try hard enough!" Bill raised his voice and Holden peaked over from the sofa. "Are you mad at me?" his little voice asked hesitantly. Nancy quickly rushed over to Holden's side, "No, baby, no." she reassured.

"No, kid, I'm not mad. Not at you, anyway." Bill _tried_ to offer a cent of comfort, but ultimately-- per usual-- fell short. He settled for a soft smile, which Holden seemed to take. As Nancy sat with the kid, Bill only felt worse. She was just _so good_ with kids. She always knew what to say, what to do, how to kiss boo-boo's, Bill didn't. He had tried, but what had he had to base his fatherhood off of? His old man had beat him if he ever _blinked _too loud, how could he know how to be a good father if his own faltered?

Adopting Brian, Bill thought, would be his saving grace. That he'd magically gain knowledge on how to be the "perfect dad", but he just didn't. Brian didn't hug him, didn't speak to him, wouldn't even look at him. Don't get him wrong, Bill loved Brian-- adored Brian-- but he just didn't know how to connect with him, and that destroyed him.

Eventually, Holden fell asleep. Nancy had let him read one of Brian's books while she and Bill went into the kitchen to talk, and they ended up finding him curled up next to _A Pocket for Corduroy_.

"I just... I should've called the police earlier. Weeks ago, when you told me to." Bill sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. God, he just felt so bad. Guilty. And he supposes it's well deserved. There were tons of times he could've called the cops, he knew, but... God! He was an idiot.

"Bill, there's no use of beating yourself up about the past, it's already happened. Why don't you come to bed, call the cops in the morning? They'll sort this whole thing out."

Maybe Nance was right, he couldn't change what he didn't do, so getting mad at himself wasn't helpful. 

"I think I'll stay in here tonight, Nance. Watch the kid, make sure his fucking mother doesn't come lookin' for him."

Nancy nodded and kissed Bill on the forehead, "Okay, dear."

Bill sat at that dining room table all night, occasionally going out back to smoke a cigarette (Nance preferred him not to do it inside), but he didn't once grow tired. Something about watching Holden sleep lessened Bill's guilt. At around five in the morning, there were car headlights shining outside the living room window followed by the slam of a car door, but no knock ever came at his door. If it was Holden's mo she must not have even checked on him. Granted, he wasn't home, but she didn't know that. Bill couldn't fathom checking on his kid. God, even Bill's father would check in on him at night. He scoffed at her negligence and continued to wait another two hours until the police station opened.

The rest of the house awoke at seven-- right when Bill placed the call-- except for Holden. He slept like a rock all night, it was probably the best and safest sleep he had gotten in a while. It only took twenty minutes before there was a rapping at the door, Bill answered.

"Bill Tench?" a young-looking officer asked.

"Yes,"

"I'm Officer Swarez, you called about a neglected child?"

Bill shook his hand, "Yes, I did. He's inside sleeping still, but his mother's car is in the driveway," Bill gestured across the road.

Officer Swarez nodded and turned around, "I'll go check it out."

"Mind if I go with you?" asked Bill.

"Oh... that's not really-"

"I'm an FBI Agent, a lawman like yourself."

Officer Swarez straightened, "Oh, my bad, sir. Of course."

Bill nodded and closed the door behind him. He and Officer Swarez made their way across the road and knocked at the door. There was no answer after a minute, so Bill gladly banged forcefully at on the door. There was a sound of something falling on the other side of the door before it opened,

"What??" Holden's mother squawked.

"Mrs. Ford? I'm Officer Swarez-" 

"What are _you _doing here??" she gaped at Bill, "You've got some vendetta against me, now you've got the _police_ involved?"

Bill scoffed, "Vendetta?! Lady, I called the cops because you're beating your son."

Officer Swarez tried to defuse the situation before it escalated, "Agent Tench-"

"Excuse me!?" too late, "_Beating _Holden!? I have never!! How _dare you_-"

"He showed me the bruises!" Bill was fuming, "he showed me the _burns, the scratches, he told me you hit him."_

"What's your first name?" Officer Swarez asked.

"Gretta." she answered like it was a dumb question.

"Okay then," Swarez took out his handcuffs and grabbed her shoulders, "Gretta Ford,"

"Hey!"

"you are under arrest"

"Stop!"

"for child abuse. You have the right"

"You can't do this! He's lying!!"

"to remain silent. And I _urge you _to use it."

Bill stood by incredulously, watching the scene unfold. He felt a weight lifting from his shoulders... Until Holden came out.

"Mom!" he yelled, "Mom!"

"Holden!" Nancy tried to stop him from leaving but he wiggled free from her grasp.

"No! Mom!"

"Holden, baby!" Gretta cried.

"I'm sorry!" he said, "Please, don't take her." Holden pleaded with the Officer.

"Son," Swarez began, "your mother is under arrest. Agent Tench said you admitted abuse."

"I lied!"

Bill's ears rang. _What?_

"I'm sorry, mom!" he was sobbing, "Bill just kept asking and I didn't know what to do! I'm sorry!" Holden held tightly to his mother.

Bill couldn't believe what he was hearing. Why was Holden going back on his word? He seemed ready to move forward last night.

"Is that true, son?" Swarez asked the boy.

Holden nodded, "My mom never hit me, I'm sorry I lied. Can you let her go?"

Swarez contemplated what he'd do... Sighing, he released Gretta from the handcuffs.

"What!?" Bill yelled in shock, "Officer, you can't just-"

"Your victim recanted, it's out of my hands. I'm sorry." And with that, Swarez left. Just got in his car and drove off like it was nothing. It made Bill feel sick to his stomach.

"Come on, Holden. Go inside," Gretta directed him and he did as told, "And _you. _Don't you _ever_ turn my son against me! Stay away from him. Stay the _fuck! Away..."_ she turned around and left.

Bill stood there in shock. Nancy came up behind him, "Oh, Bill..." she was crying. Honestly, Bill felt like he could cry too.

"Why would he do that?" Bill asked quietly. He just didn't understand.

"It's his mom, Bill... What can you expect?"

"I can expect that fucking officer to do his _fucking job!_" he yelled in anger. His breathing was hard and shaky.

"Bill," Nancy cried, "please..."

Seeing her state, Bill softened, "Oh, Nance..." he grabbed her and allowed her to cry into his shoulder. God, this was fucked. And Bill even (guiltily) found himself being mad at Holden. Though, Nancy was right, it's his mom. Bill figures he'd done the same thing for his dad. He just wishes it could be different.

After a bit, Nancy and Bill went back inside.

"Where's Holden?" Brian asked.

Bill sighed, "He's... He's with his mom, bud."

Brian looked confused, "But... I thought...?"

"I know," Bill hugged Brian tightly without even thinking. Brian usually never let him, "I know."

The rest of the day went on quickly and quietly. Bill spent most of the day staring at the house across the street until nighttime. 


	7. Seven.

It had been exactly one week since Holden pulled his little stunt and Bill still hadn't had a full night's rest. The fact there was radio silence from the house across the road didn't help any either. Gretta Ford's car was always in her driveway when Bill left for work, and it stayed there when he returned. If she had left, she made sure to do it when Bill was gone. Brian wasn't dealing so well without Holden. He was more withdrawn, he'd go directly to his room after school and stay in there playing legos by himself until dinner. Really the only place Bill had comfort was at work. Solving murders tremendously alleviated his stress over the neighbor drama.

"Bill?" Wendy's soft voice broke through his foggy thoughts, "have you been listening?"

He looked up, eyes lost, "Uh, no."

She sighed and began the rundown again, "We've been asked by the Chicago Police to investigate a series of killings. The victims were all "high profile", prostitutes, runaways, homeless... They had been cut ear to ear and left undressed in various public places," she slid photos of crime scenes across the table to Bill, "One park, one elementary school, and two churches."

"Jesus," Bill breathed, "a fucking elementary school?"

"Afraid so... The city is in a panic, the locals want us to fly out and "work our magic", their words, not mine."

Bill chuckled, "'Magic'..."

"Are you okay, Bill?" she asked suddenly.

He was a little confused, "Why?"

Wendy shrugged, "You've been distracted all week... Everything okay at home?"

Bill was ready to laugh it off, crack and joke and move on, but he just couldn't, "Honestly... No."

Wendy made a curious expression, but didn't say anything, Bill took it as a cue to continue,

"Holden, 'member the boy I told you about? Across the road? Anyway, he told me his mother was beating him... I called the cops but..."

"But?"

"He freaked out, recanted. And she was _so close_ to going to jail... I just... I don't get it."

"Well, it's the boy's mother. No child wants to see their parent in handcuffs."

Bill scoffed, "You sound like Nancy... Brian's not taking it well. Holden was his friend, but Holden's mom isn't letting him anywhere near our house."

"It'll work out," Wendy offered, "Holden knows you'll help him, you just have to wait until he wants to be helped."

"What if he waits too long? What if the next time the cops go to that fucking house it's to take Holden away in a body bag?" 

Wendy offered a consoling hand. Bill shook his head and sat upright, "So," he was changing the subject, "Chicago?"

-

Bill sighed as he walked inside the house. It was dark seeing as it was well past midnight. He stepped softly around to the kitchen, to the living room, back to the kitchen, back to the living room, again into the kitchen. Bill sighed heavily into his hands and sat at the table, he just couldn't help thinking about everything. The Chicago case, Holden, it made his stomach uneasy. He got up and moved toward the back door to light a cigarette, Nancy hated him smoking inside. With one foot out the door and his body facing the same, the phone rang. Luckily he was able to answer it after the first blaring ring.

"Hello?" He asked hurriedly, who would call at this hour?

No answer, just light sniffling on the other end.

"Hello?" he asked again.

Nothing.

Bill softened his tone, "... Holden?" he asked hopefully.

The phone clicked off.


	8. Eight.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill finds Holden at the park.

Bill awoke the next morning feeling anxious. He tried to forget about the phone call he got last night, but how could he? He knew it must've been Holden, it had to be, but why didn't he say anything? Bill groaned as he got out of bed. The clock read 7:58, he had overslept. Somehow though, it didn't make Bill mad. He made his way to the bathroom to quickly shave some stubble on his neck and grab a quick shower. After he was finished and got dressed, he went into the kitchen.

"Sorry," Nancy spoke softly, "I didn't want to wake you. You look like hell." she added matter-of-factly.

Bill scoffed, "Thanks,"

"Didn't sleep well?"

He shook his head, "No." Nancy handed Bill a travel mug of coffee, "I got an odd phone call last night."

"Oh yeah?" she inquired, "From who?"

"Not sure. They didn't speak."

Nancy hummed, "Maybe just some kids messing about."

Bill pondered the idea, "Maybe..."

Nancy kissed him and sent him to work with his coffee and a muffin. Bill placed a gentle kiss on Brian's forehead as he ate his breakfast at the table. He didn't shy away from Bill, it made him feel warm inside. Brian was getting better with affection. He even hugged him and Nancy sometimes. Bill got into his car and sighed looking across the road. But something was missing... Holden's mom's car. It wasn't in the driveway. This struck Bill as odd, she had never left before Bill before. Regardless, he ignored the burning urge to go knock on the door. Driving down the street, he passed the playground. There was a small child all alone who was swinging on the swings slowly. Upon second glance, Bill saw the child was Holden. He slammed on the breaks and parked his car on the side of the road.

"Holden?" Bill walked closer to the edge of the playground.

Holden looked up, "I'm not supposed to talk to you." he stated sadly.

Bill scoffed at the irony, "Well then don't talk, just listen to me talk, okay?"

Holden seemed to think this over. He nodded in agreement.

Bill walked over to the swing set and sat next to Holden, not making direct eye contact, "Is that why you didn't say anything when you called last night? Your mom told you not to talk to me?"

Holden stopped swinging. His little body froze stiffly straight.

"That was you, wasn't it?" Bill asked knowingly.

Holden hesitated before nodding.

Bill nodded too, "I'm sorry, Holden."

The boy looked to Bill with a confused expression.

"I let you down. I should've done more... protected you."

Holden looked urged like he wanted to speak, but he knew if he did, he'd be betraying his mother. And to him, he'd done that enough. Bill sighed and pat Holden on the shoulder.

"If you ever decide to talk to me again, give me a call."

And with that Bill got in his car and drove away. He could see Holden's small frame in the distance of his rear-view mirror, but he tried to push it away. For now, at least. He had other things to worry about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW ok sorry i completely forgot i had an AO3 account, but im gonna try to update more

**Author's Note:**

> Aa! Okay, so I made some adjustments and such, and honestly, I'm happier with this version more! And, I actually finished this 2 weeks ahead of when I thought I'd be able to! I don't know how many chapters I'll be able to make, or how frequently I can make them. But, I urge you all to bear with me. I thank you all who read this and also if you see any spelling/grammatical errors, please point them out! Thank you guys again :)


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